As part of San Leandro's centennial celebration in 1972, the city commissioned a history of San Leandro. Harry E. Shaffer authored this history entitled, "A Garden Grows in Eden." The book covers San Leandro's history from the first Spanish expedition that crossed through San Leandro in 1772 until about World War II. You can get your own copy of the book at the San Leandro History Museum and Gallery.
Many of San Leandro's street names come from its earliest residents, owners, developers, lawyers, and even the wife of an early city engineer.
In Shaffer's "A Garden Grows in Eden," he writes, "...the list [of street names] is only a start. Perhaps readers can help us add to it." Below are the names of many San Leandro streets and who or what they were named for.
| Street | Named for | Changed |
| Alice Ave. | prob. Alice A. Young, wife of Charles A. Young, owners | |
| Antonio St. | Antonio Estudillo, son of Don Joaquin | |
| Bancroft Ave. | H. P. Bancroft, Sec. of Breed & Bancroft, developers | from Santa Clara St. |
| Begier Ave. | I.H. Begier | |
| Belleview Dr. | prob. developer Belleview (Belleview Gardens subdiv.) | |
| Best Ave. | Daniel Best, whose children subdivided the property | |
| Billings Blvd. | Ray L. Billings | |
| Bradhoff Ave. | Lloyd Bradhoff of Bradrick Homes, subdivider | |
| Bradrick Ave. | Bradrick Homes, subdivider | |
| Breed Ave. | A. H. Breed, Pres. of Breed & Bancroft, developers | |
| Bridge Rd. | R. C. Bridge (& wife Helen L.) and E. S. Bridge (& wife Emma Lou), owners | |
| Callan Ave. | Father James Callan, first resident pastor of St. Leander's parish | |
| Carpentier St. | Horace Carpentier | |
| Cary Dr. | T. P. Cary & children, Amzi B. Cary & Lucy (Cary) Walrath (who subdivided the estate) T.P. Cary provided the land for San Leandro's Library | |
| Castro St. | Guillermo Castro, owner of Spanish grant to southeast (Castro Valley) | |
| Clarke St. | Henry Kirk White Clarke, attorney for Ward & Estudillos against the squatters (for ex. George Zimmerman) | |
| Collier Dr. | C. H. Collier (& wife Avis M. Collier), owner | |
| Dabner St. | John Pimentel Dabner, owner | |
| Davis St. | Wm. Heath Davis | |
| Diehl Ave. | Fred W. Diehl & wife Lena A. Diehl, owners | |
| Donovan Dr. | J.J. Donovan | |
| Doolittle Dr. | Jimmy Doolittle who led raid on Tokyo in W.W.II | from Bayshore & Shoreline Blvds. |
| Dowling Blvd. | Geo. F. Dowling, Gertrude M. Dowling & Catherine C. (Dowling) Slattery, owners, & prob. descendants of Richard Dowling | |
| Durant Ave. | Durant Motor Car Co. & founder Cliff Durant (Co. was where Chevy plant now is) | from Stanley Rd. |
| Dutton Ave. | widow Jane Dutton, owner & pioneer | from Chicken Lane |
| Elsie Ave. | Miss Elsie Nugent, dau. of Magdalena Estudillo Nugent | |
| Estabrook St. | George Estabrook Smith, County Clerk & subdivider for Jacob W. Harlan | |
| Estudillo St. | Don Jose Joaquin Estudillo | to San Leandro Blvd. |
| Eveleth Ave. | Larry Eveleth (of Linton, Sundberg & Eveleth, developers) | |
| Farrelly Dr. | R.S. Farrelly | |
| Garcia Ave. | Joseph Garcia or descendants Manuel H., Joseph H. and Frank H. Garcia (owners) | |
| Graff Ave. | A. W. Graff (possibly miswritten for Robert W. Graff), owner | |
| Haas Ave. | John L. Haas & wife Mary (Reid) Haas, owners | |
| Harlan St. | Jacob Wright Harlan, owner | |
| Harrison St. | ? (named by Jesus Maria Estudillo) | |
| Hays St. | Col. Jack C. Hays | |
| Haywards Rd. | to E. 14th St. | |
| Hellman Ave. | I. W. Hellman Jr.,former owner | |
| Hepburn St. | Hiatt P. Hepburn, of Hepburn & Saunders, attorneys for Estudillos against the squatters | to W. Joaquin Ave. |
| Holland Ave. | Edward J. Holland, owner | to Halcyon Ave. |
| Huff St. | Socrates Huff | |
| Hutchings Dr. | E.F. Hutchings | |
| Hyde St. | ? (named by Jesus Maria Estudillo) | |
| Joaquin Ave. | Don Jose Joaquin Estudillo, grantee of Rancho San Leandro | |
| Juana Ave. | Doña Juana M. Estudillo | |
| Knox Ave. | Lewis Knox (by widow, owner) | to 143rd Ave. |
| Lemon Ave. | part of Orange Grove tract | to Euclid Ave. |
| Leo Ave. | Clarence Leo Best, owner | |
| Lewelling Blvd. | John Lewelling & son Eli Lewelling, owners | |
| Lewis Ave. | George A. Lewis, Pres. of Lewis & Mitchell Inc., developers | |
| Linton St. | George W. Linton of Linton, Sundberg & Eveleth, developers | |
| Lloyd Ave. | Lloyd Bradhoff, subdivider of Bradrick Homes | |
| Lola St. | "Tia Lola" Dolores (Estudillo) Cushing, dau. of Don Joaquin | |
| Manthey Ave. | Chas. E. Manthey, Pres. of Hollywood Land Co. | to pt. of Broadmoor Blvd. |
| Martinez St. | Ignacio Martinez, Spanish Don, father-in-law of Joaquin Estudillo | |
| Maud Ave. | Miss Maud Nugent, dau. of Magdalena Estudillo Nugent | |
| McKinley Ct. | Chas. A. & Pauline McKinley, owners | from Shirk Ave |
| Melvin Ct. | prob. Melvin E. Lyon, trustee for Peralta Land Co. in Hollywood subdivision | |
| Mitchell Ave. | Arthur R. Mitchell, Sec. of Lewis & Mitchell Inc., developers | |
| Mulford Gardens | subdivided by Gertrude H. (Mulford) Collins (dau. of Thos. W. Mulford) & husband Robert H. Collins | |
| Oakes Blvd. | William Edward ("Billy") Oakes, owner | from Palm Ave. |
| Orchard Ave. | prob. for George Smith's cherry orchards; he subdivided | |
| Parrott St. | John Parrott of S. F., testified for Juana Estudillo against squatters | |
| Pelton Center Way | Allen E. Pelton | |
| Peralta St. | Don Luis Peralta | |
| Ramon St. | Ramon Estudillo, son of Don Joaquin | now vacated |
| Reva Ave. | wife of Cliff Cline of City Engineer's Dept. | |
| Rodney Dr. | poss. R. C. Bridge if R. stands for Rodney | |
| Ruhe St. | Bert Ruhe, Sec. of Hollywood Land Co. | now vacated |
| St. Mary Ave. | Joseph St. Mary & wife Sophie St. Mary, owners | |
| Sandelin Ave. | Fred Sandelin, proprietor of tract | |
| Saunders St. | R. F. Saunders, of Hepburn & Saunders, attorneys for Estudillos against the squatters | to West Juana Ave. |
| Shirk Ave. | A. Shirk, owner | to McKinley Ct. |
| Stoakes Ave. | Benjamin Franklin Stoakes or children who subdivided, i.e. Frank C. Stoakes & Flora (Stoakes) Rider | |
| Sundberg Ave. | Sundberg of Linton, Sundberg & Eveleth, developers | |
| Sybil Ave. | Miss Sybil Nugent, dau. of Magdalena Estudillo Nugent (named by Jesus Maria Estudillo) | |
| Sybil St. | Miss Sybil Nugent, dau. of Magdalena Estudillo Nugent (named by Jesus Maria Estudillo) | to Jefferson St. |
| Thornton St. | Harry Inness Thornton, Federal Commissioner appt. 1851 to settle Mexican & Spanish land grant titles, S. F. lawyer | |
| Toler Ave. | William P. Toler, son-in-law of Ignacio Peralta; built what is now the Alta Mira Clubhouse in 1860 | |
| Valita Dr. | wife of Charles Martin, City Engineer | |
| Valley St. | Wayne Valley of Valley & Lincoln subdividers | |
| Ward Ave. | John B. Ward | to Estudillo Ave |
| Ward St. | John B. Ward | to W. Estudillo Ave |
| Warren Ave. | poss. for owners W. A. Brown & wife Mary R. Brown | |
| Wicks Blvd. | Moses Wicks & family, owners | |
| Williams St. | John J. Williams, S. F. law partner of Harry I. Thornton & James D. Thornton |